Logan review : Fare thee well!

Long before Robert Downey Jr. made Iron Man/Tony Stark his own, long before the Avengers put their mark on respective characters, and even before Christian Bale became the definitive Batman, Hugh Jackman became the Wolverine in Bryan Singer’s X-Men in 2000. Since then, he has played the role in seven installments including the latest one and uncredited cameos in two more. Hence, for someone who initiated the era of a single actor owning a superhero character, it is a pretty difficult task to send him riding into the sunset. However, James Mangold’s Logan not only delivers a gripping farewell to the popular character, but also puts out a fresh and interesting superhero story,thereby becoming the best Wolverine movie yet and also one of the best superhero movies ever.

The movie, drawing from the Old Man Logan comics, portrays the character beyond his prime, with weakening powers including slowed healing ability, a limp and the attitude of a person, which his dear friend and mentor Charles Xavier attributes as “waiting to die”. His life goes for a toss when the little girl Laura enters and from then the movie becomes an engaging drama for a pleasant change as we witness the emotions of a broken man who cannot stay away from protecting the people he cares for, and while doing so always leaves behind a trail of bodies, including innocent ones.

It is in these moments built up throughout the film and the way we see Wolverine in his absolute bloody glory in the climax, the soul of the character and the essence of a superhero are both captured simultaneously. Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of the character has always been top-notch but the stories told previously always left everyone wanting. However, this time around, the script helps Jackman finally elevate the character and the Australian actor puts on a performance of a lifetime showing the depth of Wolverine’s pathos and angst while never backing down from a fight no matter the odds.

Further, the true essence of a superhero does not lie in his/her powers, instead it lies in their ability to keep fighting for the good cause despite age, failings and situations. Logan manages to drive home the point with aplomb and that is the biggest victory for the film. The action sequences do not disappoint and it is fair to say the brutal nature of Wolverine’s offence is helped immensely by the “R” rating. For this, the film makers and fans are indebted to “Deadpool”, that broke through the rating barrier last year. The rating allows for some amazing Wolverine-esque action that could not be shown before and also gives Hugh Jackman the freedom in showcasing Logan’s feelings. A good point about the movie is that the rating has not been misused in any way and instead, it helps in enhancing the story.

The movie does well to flesh out Laura’s character slowly and gives us a little glimpse of how Wolverine could have been as a child while Patrick Stewart plays an ancient Charles with ease. The background score by Marco Beltrami maintains the sober tone throughout with the required flare-ups during the melees. On the flip side, the movie does slow down a bit in the middles but the payday for those scenes at the end makes up for it.

James Mangold got the character right in his previous film, “The Wolverine”, but could not connect it well to the audience. He rectified it this time around and the occasional references to the past and the little odes to the character through the comic books and cigars work well. Overall, Hugh Jackman lays down the blueprint for his counterparts when they film their swansongs, and in case he never ever dons the claws again (never say never), then it is time to say thank you for making a popular character iconic and he will forever be remembered as the Wolverine!